Zaycon Fresh closed their doors on June 25, 2018–but that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives to Zayon Fresh–and to buying affordable, quality meats! This post will give 6 alternatives to Zaycon Fresh!

It is sadness and frustration that I am writing you today to let you know that one of my most FAVORITE businesses has suspended their operations, and, it appears, has gone out of business!

I’ve been telling you all about Zaycon Fresh for years because I’ve been a loyal customer for years–at least five or six! A couple days ago, I ran across a Facebook post that said they have suspended operations. The post–and their website–give no further information!

Here is what I know, and here is what YOU need to do if you have any outstanding orders with Zaycon (this is important!!):

1. Zaycon suspended operations on June 25. They posted a notice on their website, but they shared very little else. Sadly, they have not sent out any emails to customers or blogging affiliates. Word of mouth is the only way people are finding out they have suspended operations.

2. No one knows if “suspended” means if Zaycon will ever resume business or not.

3. Thousands of customers (including me!) had pre-paid for orders that they will now not get. I urge you to immediately contact your credit card company or bank or PayPal (however you paid) and file a dispute for any and all Zaycon Fresh orders that you have not yet received. Please note that different banks and card companies will have different dispute windows and you could be looking at anywhere from 15 to 90 days before you’ll see the refund.*

*Because Zaycon kept pushing orders to a later and later date (this happened to me repeatedly over the last few months, and it was very frustrating!), there are some customers whose banks are refusing the disputes. I have heard from some customers that if they were able to prove that Zaycon had not yet delivered their product and were able to show the emails or other notifications showing the delays, then the banks still reimbursed these charges.

4. Bloggers who promoted Zaycon are just as frustrated as everyone else. Zaycon had a stellar referral program for all customers and a great affiliate program for bloggers. Not only does this business suspension cheats innocent customers out of their money, but they closed shop without paying out thousands of referral dollars. They also let their loyal truck drivers go without notice. In fact, some of their drivers were still making deliveries this week–without pay. (My mom got her final bacon order this way.)

Alternatives to Zaycon Fresh

I’ve long promoted Zaycon because I ordered from them regularly myself, and although their meat wasn’t organic, I felt it was high quality (especially their wild-caught seafood!), and it’s what I fed my own family.

You could not beat Zaycon’s prices, which, sadly, seems to have contributed to their demise. Offering customers such low prices again and again was not a sustainable business model.

So where do we go from here?

The following are some suggestions for where to purchase bulk meats online.

I’m still researching these myself, and I will let you know my findings here and in future blog posts/newsletters.

Cons- While they are typically cheaper than Whole Foods and other health food stores, they are for sure pricier than what we were accustomed to paying for Zaycon meats. Buying in bulk and splitting with friends is definitely the way to go with Azure. The more you buy, the more affordable Azure becomes. I also always check out their sales and clearance tabs before ordering.

Full discloser: Our family loves the idea of Butcher Box, but we’ve only tried them ourselves once. Why? Full transparency: the price!

We have been getting meat at such a good deal from Zaycon that we haven’t had much reason to look elsewhere–even when that meant we weren’t always getting the highest quality meat. Why? Let’s be honest: Sometimes “better” is the “best” when it comes to budget.

Pros- Butcher Box offers very high quality meat, and they deliver to your home!! They also sometimes offer sales, and the prices really aren’t ridiculous when you compare them to somewhere like Whole Foods. Also, shipping is FREE! Their meat is 100% grass-fed, their pork is heritage breed, and their chickens are free-range organic. Their meat is all certified humane and all free from added antibiotics and hormones.

Cons- The price. That’s really it. If you’re already used to buying organic meat at the grocery store, Butcher Box might even feel like a steal to you.

Want to try Butcher Box bacon for FREE? Now through July 8, 2018, they are currently running a promo where everyone who signs up for a Butcher Box subscription will get FREE BACON in every single order! Will and I are signing up for this one! Check out this deal here.

I’ve been a long-time customer of Tropical Traditions, but I’ve never purchased meat from them because…again…they are pricey. But they are pricey for a reason: They only offer the highest quality meat.

They also sell high quality coconut oil, palm shortening, eggs, and even non-toxic cleaning supplies (among other things).

Pros- They offer TOP quality products. They ship straight to your house. When you sign up for their newsletter, they offer some great deals and even free shipping occasionally.

Cons-They are pricey (but for a reason). They only offer free shipping occasionally.

Warehouse Stores (Costco, BJs, Sam’s)

Like I wrote about in my books, buying in bulk is often (but not always) more affordable. If none of the above work for you, I recommend checking out the meat prices at your closest warehouse store. We’ve had a membership to BJ’s and Sam’s off and on for several years, and I’m excited that a new Costco is opening in my town next year. (Read my friend April’s review of Costco here and my review of Sam’s Club here.)

Local Farms

You will, without a doubt, get the highest-quality meat from your local farmers. Now, I can’t research the farms for you, but you can always check out a site like Local Harvest to find farms near you.

In the past, my husband and I have used tax returns to purchase up to 1/2 a cow! That meat lasted us a LONG time!

Your Local Grocery Store

If you’re used to the convenience of buying meat in bulk online, then it can sound like a bummer to go back to your local grocery store. But here’s a tip: When they mark meat down, simply STOCK UP. This is the best way to ensure the most bang for your buck.

Also, while I used to not get meat at ALDI (my favorite grocery store!) that has all changed over the past several years. They now offer organic grass-fed beef, wild-caught seafood, and even organic chicken. So if you haven’t visited an ALDI in a while, go explore their meat section. You might be surprised at what you find.

So while I’m SUPER BUMMED that Zaycon is closing (and especially that they have closed in such an abrupt manner while leaving customers and employees scrambling), I’m glad we DO have other options for where to shop online (and in person) for affordable and quality meats.

Where do you shop for meat? I would love to know your alternatives to Zaycon Fresh!

we ordered a double order of the 99 cent chicken deal. we went on vacation for a week and when we came back we got a notification they were suspending operations and a link showing more info that said barely anything. so we did not get our order or our money back.

I’ve been ordering from Zaycon for years, so sad to see this happen.
If you call your credit card company, you may be able to get the charges reversed. I use Capitol One and they credited disputed charges back to my account. (I had 4 unfufilled orders totaling over $800). Zaycon has 90 days to respond, otherwise the credits will stay on may account. Not all credit card companies work that way, but its worth a shot to recover your money!
One problem I had was knowing which orders had been received and which hadn’t since I can’t look up my account on Zaycon and the orders were placed months ago…

Although not nationwide if near you (Upper Midwest, PA, NY & FL) Gordon Food Service Stores (gfsstore.com) have comparable values to Zaycon. We recently bought a 40lb box of boneless chicken breasts for apprx. $1.35lb, they also had 10lb rolls of grnd beef.

Still looking for a supplier to get Salmon like Zaycon offered though.

We loved and respected Zacon , so many wonderful people. I disputed charge thru my bank and today was reimbursed. It took about a week and a half. Please if they are ever back in business , or a company you know of as good as they where please keep us informed!
Wonderful website Erin !

Check naturallyadeal.com. Tons of bulk and case options on all kinds of food. They deliver to select cities sort of like Zaycon. You order ahead, meet the truck, help sort and unload and pay when you pick up. Lots of excellent deals.

Thanks for all of the years you’ve put in to help us mommas out! This is my first comment to your blog, but have read and been a fan over the last couple of years.

I am floored Zaycon is suspended…what a loss! Boo. Anywho…ALDI is typically my first stop for my family of 5 (which includes 3 boys (15, 13 & 9) and hubby). We are blessed to have 2 of them within 10 minutes from our house. [And a LIDL, but that’s less convenient…AND they have a bakery, so I try NOT to go there!] Only about 2 years ago did I begin purchasing meat from ALDI, for it wasn’t appetizing when the stores first opened in the area (6 yrs ago?). I wait until the boneless, skinless chicken breasts are $1.49/lb and bulk purchase.

Another help is knowing that Giant Food (Virginia) takes competitors coupons. SO I wait for the Shopper’s Food Warehouse “$10 off a $50 purchase” coupon to arrive in their weekly flyer. Then I check to see if Giant is having a sale on their chicken. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. Giant is 5 min from our home and I do not grocery shop at Shopper’s. It’s pretty easy to grab $50 worth of chicken, check out, then take my receipt to the service desk, where they hand me a $10 bill and I go home a little happier because I saved $ upon $.

Nature Garden Express is who I used for Organic fruits, vegetables, meat, honey, bread and dairy. I lived in Marietta, GA at the time so I don’t know how far they deliver to. https://www.naturesgardenexpress.com/

Loved Zaycon. Aldi is one of my favorite Stores. First stop before anywhere else. But I love buying my meat fresh and in bulk… We have The Chef Store that is open to the public…I only went in and looked once…well when Zaycon went out of business I called first and then went in… I was able to get a 40 pound box of boneless Skinless Chicken breast for like $1.20 a pound, A box of boneless skinless chicken thigh for the same price! and my next buy will be a case of ground beef which comes in approximately 8 tubes of 10 pound each … but i will split that with a friend or two… the price? $1.80 a pound. My local “cheaper” meat counter was $3.99 for one pound of 80/20 beef… so sad about Zaycon…but i am more excited about this Chef store and I don’t have prepay month ahead for a good price. and the quality has been great… I mean it is restaurant quality at least… also while i am there I can shop for a lot of other things in bulk for less…

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Grace-Filled,Healthy Homemaking

I’m Erin. Follower of Jesus. Wife to Will. Mommy to a lovely trio of redheaded girls and one sweet baby boy. Professional dreamer. Drinker of chai tea and peppermint mochas. Recovering overwhelmed homemaker. I’m here to encourage, educate, and empower you to live a grace-filled, natural life. Won’t you join me?